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Poll: Broncos’ Top Extension Priority?

October 23rd, 2014 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reported earlier today that the Broncos don’t intend to discuss contract extensions with either Demaryius Thomas or Julius Thomas until after the season. That has since been confirmed by multiple reporters, including Mike Klis of the Denver Post and Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who indicated that the team hasn’t engaged in talks with either player since August.

The Broncos will do their best to keep all their impact players heading into next season, but the team will only have one franchise tag available, and the salary cap will almost certainly limit Denver’s ability to keep all its key free agents. Besides the Thomases, wideout Wes Welker and – more importantly – cornerback Chris Harris are among the team’s other players eligible to test the open market.

Harris, who is playing this season on a restricted free agent tender, ranked eighth among cornerbacks in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), and has been even better so far this year. Per PFF, quarterbacks throwing into Harris’ coverage have completed 12 of 32 attempts for 101 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception, good for a 33.5 QB rating. The 25-year-old’s outstanding play has made him one of the cornerstones of Denver’s improved defensive unit.

Of course, in Demaryius and Julius Thomas, the Broncos have two players who rank among the best at their respective positions in the NFL. Demaryius has averaged 1,432 receiving yards over the last two seasons, and is on pace to blow past that mark this year, while Julius leads the NFL with nine receiving touchdowns in just six games. Even though Peyton Manning could post big numbers throwing to just about anyone, losing either Thomas would be a significant blow to the Broncos’ passing attack.

What do you think? Which of the Broncos’ top three prospective free agents is the most important for the team to extend? Does the club need to make sure it retains one or both of Manning’s top targets, or is keeping the young, shutdown cornerback the top priority?

Which player should the Broncos try hardest to extend?
WR Demaryius Thomas 68.04% (232 votes)
TE Julius Thomas 23.46% (80 votes)
CB Chris Harris 8.50% (29 votes)
Total Votes: 341

Poll: Will Rex Ryan Coach In The NFL Next Year?

October 18th, 2014 at 5:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the Jets’ season on the brink, a future that includes Rex Ryan as part of the organization seems more and more unlikely. General manager John Idzik will make a Ryan a scapegoat for the season, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Percy Harvin trade will help Ryan incidentally, but Mehta believes that the true motivation for the trade will be to properly evaluate Geno Smith.

From Mehta’s article:

Rex Ryan will be the scapegoat after the season.

Idzik was never fully committed to helping Ryan make the playoffs in 2014, but he has plenty at stake with Smith, who is near or at the bottom of nearly every meaningful statistical category this season. The organization will make a definitive call on Smith in 10 weeks…

His decision to give up a conditional 2015 sixth-round pick (that could turn into a fourth rounder), according to a source, for a wildcard like Harvin was purely driven by his desire to find out what Smith can do with more offensive firepower in the huddle. If Smith thrives with Harvin, the Jets will steer clear of drafting a quarterback in the first round next spring. If Smith continues to fight inconsistency, Idzik will jump ship and go after a signal caller early in next year’s draft.

While the Jets have struggle this year, the schedule has been brutally tough aside for the week one matchup with the Raiders. The schedule also gets far easier from here on out, with the Steelers, Chiefs, Vikings, and Titans in the back nine to go with two games against the Bills and two against the Dolphins. This team may not be drafting so high as to find a no-brainer selection at quarterback.

I do not like assuming that Ryan or any other coach will be fired with so much season left to play, but since Gary Myers of the New York Daily News already did so, it opens up the idea. He sees the Falcons, Dolphins, and 49ers as good fits if those teams are in the market for a coach. Of course, if Ryan so chooses, or if he can’t get a job right away, he will be more than welcome on television as an on-air personality.

Where Will Rex Ryan Be Next Season?
Football Analyst on TV 37.31% (100 votes)
Coaching with another team 30.97% (83 votes)
Coaching the Jets 13.06% (35 votes)
Coaching the Falcons 9.33% (25 votes)
Coaching the Dolphins 4.85% (13 votes)
Coaching the 49ers 4.48% (12 votes)
Total Votes: 268

Poll: Who Won The Percy Harvin Trade?

October 17th, 2014 at 9:38pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the Percy Harvin trade dominating the Friday evening headlines, there are definitely arguments for why both sides were interested in completing the deal.

For readers of Pro Football Rumors, it would be impossible not to see a laundry list of opinions, whether you are looking at it as the Seahawks moving on from a headache or as the Jets acquiring a playmaker.

There are arguments for both teams as the victors in this trade. Yes, Harvin is a unique playmaker, but at the same time he clearly wore out his welcome at his last two stops, leading to an unceremonious exit.

In addition to the compilation of links and responses earlier, Manish Mehta of the Daily News points out that the Jets passed on DeSean Jackson this offseason assumedly because of character issues. Harvin’s character has been called into question since the trade became public.

Albert Breer of the NFL Network notes that the team just moved on from Santonio Holmes who was a negative influence in the locker room, only to trade for another combative personality in Harvin months later (via Twitter). As the story continued to develop, Breer has sided more and more strongly with the Seahawks’ decision to move the star receiver (via Twitter).

Still, it is tough to believe losing a player of that quality is without a doubt a positive, especially considering how hard his teammates have taken the news. Cliff Avril and Marshawn Lynch have already taken to Twitter to vent their frustration, and Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report reports that the Seahawks’ locker room has been shocked and stunned by the deal (via Twitter).

It will be at least until the end of the season before we can be sure who won this trade, maybe longer if Harvin plays out his contract with the team. Still, early reactions might favor the Seahawks, but could go either way depending on our readers.

Who Won The Percy Harvin Trade?
New York Jets 51.26% (245 votes)
Seattle Seahawks 48.74% (233 votes)
Total Votes: 478

Poll: Which 5-1 Team Is Strongest Contender?

October 16th, 2014 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Before the 2014 regular season got underway, pundits and observers had pegged last year’s Super Bowl combatants – the Seahawks and Broncos – as the likeliest teams to reach the championship again, with clubs like the Patriots, Packers, and Saints all being picked as possible Super Bowl contenders as well. Through six weeks though, only two of those five teams are in first place in their respective divisions.

The three teams atop the NFL so far are the Chargers, Eagles, and Cowboys, all with 5-1 records. San Diego has been dominant during the season’s first few weeks, with a +73 point differential that leads the NFL. If it weren’t for a heartbreaking one-point loss in Arizona, the Chargers, who are riding a five-game winning streak, would still be unbeaten, led by MVP candidate Philip Rivers.

Another MVP candidate, perhaps the only non-QB offensive player in the discussion so far, has been crucial to Dallas’ success — running back DeMarco Murray has burst out of the gate with six consecutive 100-yard games, and leads the league in a handful of categories, including rushing yards (785), rushing TDs (six), and total yards from scrimmage (940). The fact that his 159 carries is also most in the NFL by a wide margin may be cause for concern, but for now, the Cowboys’ ability to hang onto the ball with their dominant offensive line and running game has made them one of the league’s biggest surprises.

Still, the Cowboys don’t even hold sole possession of first place in the NFC East, as the division-rival Eagles have matched them win for win in spite of some turnover problems from quarterback Nick Foles. The fact that Philadelphia has played so well despite Foles’ ups and downs and a bevy of offensive line injuries bodes well, particularly if the offense can start firing on all cylinders later in the year.

What do you think? How convinced are you that these early-season frontrunners are for real? Which of these 5-1 teams has the best shot at winning the Super Bowl this year?

Which 5-1 team is the strongest Super Bowl contender?
San Diego Chargers 45.34% (258 votes)
Philadelphia Eagles 32.51% (185 votes)
Dallas Cowboys 22.14% (126 votes)
Total Votes: 569

Poll: Who Should Take Blame For Jets?

October 9th, 2014 at 5:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Now that Dennis Allen has been ousted in Oakland, no one’s seat is hotter than the Rex Ryan‘s. The Jets are on a four-game losing streak including an ugly blowout at the hands of the Chargers and things won’t get any easier from here.

Ryan’s tenure began with back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances but things have tailed off quite a bit since then. The confident coach got chuckles from the press room for his Super Bowl predictions in years past but he no longer makes those claims, lest he get laughed out of the building. As a blitz-happy, defense-first coach, Ryan’s teams have been fairly stingy in that department – particularly against the run – but the offense has been generally underwhelming. That side of the ball isn’t his forte and that has put added responsibility on the shoulders of the offensive coordinator. Unfortunately, neither Eric Mangini holdover Brian Schottenheimer nor Ryan buddy Tony Sparano could get things right and things aren’t shaping up much better with Marty Mornhinweg in the driver’s seat. And in a league where “What have you done for me lately?” might as well be engraved on every owner’s office door, it’s worth noting that Ryan’s run defense allowed 182 yards and two touchdowns to UDFA Branden Oliver in the San Diego blowout.

There’s little question that Ryan will be the one to pay if things don’t turn around quickly for the Jets and the coach himself admits that he won’t be back if they can’t find a way to win. And, unfortunately, the deck is stacked against Ryan with only a few cupcakes to be had over the rest of the schedule. However, it’s certainly fair to also question the decisions made by General Manager John Idzik.

Idzik, a salary cap guru, inherited a less-than-desirable financial situation from predecessor Mike Tannenbaum. This offseason the Jets had tons of cap room to work with and, inexplicably, sat on much of it. Today, as the Jets have a $24.3MM buffer between themselves and the upper limit (second only to the Jaguars), one has to wonder exactly what Idzik was thinking. Knowing that he has a head coach who often sends the house on third-and-long, the GM did little to upgrade the Jets’ secondary and watched prize free agent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie sign with the rival Giants after offering him a reportedly insulting deal. Eric Decker was brought in to add some much needed firepower to the offense, but there was more that needed to be done in free agency. Idzik believed that he could supplement the receiving core through the draft, but none of the three wide receivers from May’s draft remain on the 53-man roster and one – Jalen Saunders – has already been cut. Idzik wisely added Breno Giacomini to stop the Jets’ perpetual turnstile at right tackle and was fortunate to have Chris Johnson fall into his lap late in the offseason, but it looks like he fell short in many other areas.

Now, the question is, do you place the blame for this bad meal on the shoulders of the chef or the person who did the grocery shopping?

Who Do You Blame For The Jets' Mess?
John Idzik 61.71% (216 votes)
Rex Ryan 38.29% (134 votes)
Total Votes: 350

Poll: Who Will Be Browns’ Starting QB In 2015?

October 9th, 2014 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, I examined Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer as a potential candidate for a contract extension. While there’s an expectation that Hoyer and the Browns will engage in discussions at some point, and could hammer out an agreement, it’ll be an extremely complicated negotiation based on the presence of 2014 first-rounder Johnny Manziel.

We’ve seen highly-touted young signal-callers sit on the bench for a year or two before – Aaron Rodgers backing up Brett Favre in Green Bay comes to mind – but in most of those cases, the starter has a more extensive track record than Hoyer does. Often, contracts will play a part as well — teams may be reluctant to part with a highly-paid starter whose release would result in a ton of dead money on the cap.

In the case of Hoyer though, the Browns could simply move on from him at the end of the 2014 season, allowing Manziel to take the reins after learning the system for a year. The former Texas A&M QB would be inexpensive for the remainder of his rookie contract, and would have the opportunity to lead a roster that has an increasing amount of talent on both sides of the ball.

On the other hand, Hoyer’s short stints this season and last season as the Browns’ starter have been impressive, and he’s proving to be the most capable quarterback the team has had in years. A Cleveland native, Hoyer could ultimately make more sense as the club’s long-term answer at the position if he continues to excel for the rest of 2014 and Manziel remains an unproven commodity on the bench.

So what do you think? Who will be the Browns’ quarterback in 2015? Will they re-sign Hoyer intending to start him? Will Manziel have taken over by then? Weigh in with your vote below, and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section as well.

Who will be the Browns' starting quarterback in 2015?
Brian Hoyer 56.45% (210 votes)
Johnny Manziel 33.06% (123 votes)
Someone else 10.48% (39 votes)
Total Votes: 372

Poll: Next NFL Coach To Get Fired

October 4th, 2014 at 6:00pm CST by Zachary Links

After four games and zero wins to start the 2014 season, the Raiders decided that they had enough of Dennis Allen. Allen’s dismissal wasn’t terribly surprising and, truthfully, neither was the timing – the Raiders were blown out in London by the Dolphins in their week 4 showdown and Allen had led Oakland to back-to-back 4-12 seasons. The Raiders will now look to turn their year around under interim coach Tony Sparano, who could have a real chance at landing the permanent gig if he can get something out of his team. While Allen’s seat was the hottest in the NFL, there are coaches elsewhere who have shaky job security.

The always entertaining Rex Ryan is in his sixth year at the helm of the Jets and his squad isn’t looking so hot at 1-3. Gang Green opened the season with an ugly win over the Raiders, blew a considerable lead to the Packers in Week 2, and lost to the Bears and Lions in Weeks 3 and 4. This isn’t how most people saw things turning out for Ryan, who began his Jets tenure with back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances. The offensive minded coach wasn’t able to make things work with once promising quarterback Mark Sanchez and sophomore Geno Smith could be headed down the same path. Owner Woody Johnson has a great affinity for the affable Ryan, and so do many Jets fans, but that might not be enough to save his job if the Jets can’t get in the playoff hunt.

In St. Louis, veteran head coach Jeff Fisher is in his third year with the team and many have said that both he and GM Les Snead are on the chopping block. Unfortunately for Fisher, the Rams have one heck of a mountain to climb in 2014. Lodged in the ultra-tough NFC West, the Rams are without quarterback Sam Bradford thanks to a torn ACL (again) and starting Austin Davis in his stead. The Rams seem on pace to land a high draft pick and go for a top quarterback in the 2015 draft, but there’s no guarantee that Fisher will be the one grooming him.

Around the league, there are several more teams that could shake things up on the sidelines. Who do you think is the next coach to go?

Next Coach To Get Fired?
Rex Ryan (Jets) 40.97% (229 votes)
Joe Philbin (Dolphins) 28.09% (157 votes)
Gus Bradley (Jaguars) 8.05% (45 votes)
Jeff Fisher (Rams) 6.08% (34 votes)
Lovie Smith (Buccaneers) 5.55% (31 votes)
Ron Rivera (Panthers) 5.19% (29 votes)
Other (let us know in the comments) 3.94% (22 votes)
Mike Zimmer (Vikings) 2.15% (12 votes)
Total Votes: 559

Poll: Should Dennis Allen Be Fired?

September 28th, 2014 at 10:42pm CST by Rob DiRe

Raiders’ head coach Dennis Allen has been on the hot seat since before the season started, and after a blowout loss in a showcase game in London, he could be on the way out very soon.

Before the season started, we polled our readers on which coach they thought would be fired first. Our readers took Jason Garrett of the Cowboys to be the first to go, but at 3-1 as they are in the process of blowing out the Saints, Garrett’s job could be safe for a while. Allen was the second choice in that poll, and right now he looks like the best bet to go first, considering the reports that came out tonight.

Terry Collins of the Associated Press reported that Allen had been fired and that the official team report was coming, but later deleted the tweet. He eventually replaced it with an apology, saying he was unable to confirm that report (via Twitter).

Allen was hired in Oakland prior to the 2012 season. He took over one of the worst teams in football, but has failed to turn them around at all so far. The Raiders posted four win seasons in 2012 and 2013, and to start off 0-4 this year puts them behind the curve on even a four-win season.

General manager Reggie McKenzie has failed equally in terms of procuring, drafting, and keeping talent during his short tenure with the team. His best move to keep his own job could be to fire Allen as a scapegoat, and reset his own clock in the front office.

Despite having little to no talent to work with, it is unclear how much longer the organization stick with Allen. The team has a week off after returning from London, and if McKenzie was going to make this move, it would make sense to do it now when their team still has time to prepare.

Does Dennis Allen Deserve To Get Fired?
Yes 65.79% (250 votes)
No 34.21% (130 votes)
Total Votes: 380

Poll: Should NFL Expand To London?

September 27th, 2014 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

As we wrote yesterday, the NFL’s international chief, Mark Waller, still believes the league is on track for potential expansion to Europe by around 2022. With the NFL ramping up to three games played at Wembley Stadium in London this season, Waller and company are beginning to experiment in different ways with those overseas contests, as he explained to Albert Breer of the NFL Network.

“I’m less focused on going from three (games) to four, four to five, five to six,” Waller said. “Can we do back-to-back games? Will the surface hold up? Can we start sending teams there without the bye attached? It’s not about the number anymore. … We’re at a place now where if we continue to do the job with the fans, the fan base will grow, and we’ll be able to have a team (in London). The questions now are logistical.”

While the NFL’s global marketing plan is ambitious, it’s worth considering whether having a franchise in London is the logical next step for the league. In my view, getting a team back in Los Angeles should be the NFL’s top priority, but that doesn’t necessarily preclude the possibility of expanding to London. Reports continue to suggest that when a combination of the right team, the right owner, and the right stadium come together, NFL football will return to L.A., and the league’s goal of installing a franchise overseas can be viewed as an entirely separate issue.

Still, with no NFL franchise seemingly on the verge of relocation at the moment, one has to wonder if the league is willing to move multiple teams within the next few years to get teams in L.A. and London. At 32 franchises, the NFL already features more teams than any of the other major North American sports leagues, so further expansion seems somewhat dubious.

That’s one possible roadblock for a London team, and Waller himself names a few more — it’s not clear yet whether Wembley Stadium will be capable of hosting eight games per season, or whether European fans more accustomed to following another form of football would continue to turn up and support a franchise full-time. Additionally, traveling from one coast of America to the other is already viewed as a significant handicap for West Coast clubs. The idea of having eight teams per year traveling overseas for games likely won’t be an easy sell.

What do you think? Does it make sense for the NFL to attempt to get a franchise in place in London within the next decade or so, or is that an overly ambitious plan for the league?

Should the NFL expand to London within the next 10 years?
No 86.62% (343 votes)
Yes 13.38% (53 votes)
Total Votes: 396

Poll: Which Team Will Stay Winless Longest?

September 25th, 2014 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

On Wednesday, PFR readers voted the Bengals the most likely team to be the last unbeaten club standing in the NFL this season. The league’s three 3-0 squads haven’t necessarily looked dominant, and face tough schedules in the next few weeks, which could ensure that no team remains undefeated for long.

On the other hand, the league’s three 0-3 teams have struggled immensely in the early going. The Jaguars started off the season by jumping out to a 17-0 lead against the Eagles, but have since been outscored by an incredible 119-27 margin, including 34-0 in the second half of that game in Philadelphia. The Raiders have played tighter games, but also faced three opponents (Jets, Texans, Patriots) that have looked shaky in their other contests. As for the Buccaneers, they’re coming off a 56-14 defeat that was even worse than the final score suggests, after having dropped home games to Derek Anderson and Austin Davis in the season’s first two weeks.

At this point, all three winless clubs have turned to new quarterbacks, with the Jaguars (Blake Bortles) and Raiders (Derek Carr) giving their rookies a chance under center, while Mike Glennon prepares to take over for the injured Josh McCown in Tampa Bay. While there’s some optimism that these young signal-callers could help turn their respective teams’ seasons around, the jury’s still very much out on that.

Over the next few weeks, the Bucs will play in Pittsburgh and New Orleans before hosting the Ravens and then taking a Week 7 bye; the Jaguars alternate road and home games against the Chargers, Steelers, Titans, and Browns; and the Raiders play in London against the Dolphins before returning stateside for their bye and then home games against the Chargers and Cardinals.

What do you think? Which of these last-place teams will take the longest to win its first game? And are any of them in real danger of a winless season?

Which team will remain winless the longest?
Jacksonville Jaguars 36.98% (159 votes)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34.65% (149 votes)
Oakland Raiders 28.37% (122 votes)
Total Votes: 430
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